Lockout On The Table As CBA Nears Expiration

[Freezer]

15 hours ago, disarcina said:

MLB seems to be doing well. Attendance at most parks is up and TV deals both local and national are lucrative.

The Yankees and the Dodgers (Red Sox too?) have their own networks with media rights revenue keeping them flush.

But don't be misled -- MLB may be on the precipice -- fewer kids are signing up for Little League these days -- and for advanced junior ball past little league -- heck the league in our area had only TWO teams in their league (Babe Ruth League baseball) which means the two teams played each other all season.......there used to be two different leagues with about six teams each.

if kids are not playing baseball and signing up for Little League -- well, it means in 7 to 10 years, those same kids won't be going to MLB games or watching them on TV.

I don't think MLB can handle another strike / lock out --

I understand the problem of having fewer kids sign up for recreation league baseball, but there has been a rather large increase in the number of kids that are now playing travel ball. Especially in warmer climates, like here in SoCal. 

[ukyah]

1 hour ago, eligrba said:

See Texas Rangers' Hazing thread..........

 

 

 

[Angel Oracle]

19 minutes ago, ukyah said:

 

 

No truth to the rumor that Howard Dean patterned himself after Professor Turgeson 

[Hubs]

Kids who are being pulled out of football because of concussions, are going to go somewhere. MLB is the logical choice. As the last of the PED era disappears, we won't have that question out there and fans will come. You can say ratings are not as good as the NFL, but that's because there is a game on a minimum of 5 days a week for 28 weeks. (and usually 6 or 7). NFL ratings are down because there are now three legit games on Sunday and one more on Monday and Thursday each (sometimes two). That's too much football. It used to be a Sunday and Monday thing and cable used to have the Sunday night game, but now it's national. People get worn out on too much football. 

Baseball suffers from this too, except us diehards who watch every game (or at least most). 

Baseball also has a stigma of being boring, but it's not.

A lock out right now just helps the NFL and hurts baseball. But as long as they don't miss any games, a few days really just upsets the offseason schedule. 

They need to raise the luxury tax, and I think the Union will eventually agree to an international draft, because less money thrown at the international guys from Japan, Cuba, and Korea is more money to existing union members. Just like when the NFL limited rookie contracts, the established guys made more money. There will never be a hard salary cap, or a floor. The issues they have to work out are minor ones. This is not 1995 or even 2002. 

[Second Base]

13 hours ago, ukyah said:

no problem, hearing about me and my stories isn't really all that pertinent.

what i'd like to talk about is your goals and what you hope to achieve.

let me ask you a direct question, what would you like to get out of this conversation?

 

 

All I'm saying is that there's a difference between hazing and masturbating on a guy.

[Inside Pitch]

19 hours ago, gotbeer said:

So the big issue seems to be the international draft.  Which is really a screwed up system as is anyways.  Go back to 50 rounds, but make it can be signed from anywhere, and have one draft.  Anyone not drafted is a FA and can sign wherever.  Make the rules like any american high schooler.  They can get drafted but opt for college/Japanese league/whatever.  It's up to the teams to determine what they want to risk on wasting a pick, or missing out on a player.

There are so many obstacles with an international draft -- places like the DR are going to be a land mine.  

The guys who have made their careers out of getting guys drafted and then taking a huge cut are going to do everything in their power to hide players eligible for the draft and then try to sell them after the fact...    It will make the stuff that was written about in "Away Games" seem like child's play.

I personally believe an international draft is a fantasy at this point.

 

[ukyah]

1 hour ago, Scotty@AW said:

All I'm saying is that there's a difference between hazing and masturbating on a guy.

 

you keep going back to this "masturbating on a guy" thing. they didn't masturbate on him, they masturbated him with their hands. i really feel that this is an important distinction.

other than that, i'm willing to agree on your larger point.

[AngelsLakersFan]

1 hour ago, Inside Pitch said:

There are so many obstacles with an international draft -- places like the DR are going to be a land mine.  

The guys who have made their careers out of getting guys drafted and then taking a huge cut are going to do everything in their power to hide players eligible for the draft and then try to sell them after the fact...    It will make the stuff that was written about in "Away Games" seem like child's play.

I personally believe an international draft is a fantasy at this point.

 

I agree, and yet here we are, where it seems to be the sticking point in negotiations.

I thought the commissioner was supposed to be the representative of the fans (i know, I know...)? How are we at a point where ownership and the commissioner want an international draft, and it's the players saying no, this isn't good for the game?

What is the age requirement for avoiding the draft? Players not tied to the draft, in limited supply, with a few more years of experience, will garner insane contracts. This actually sounds like fun, even if it is the opposite of the way things should work. Scouts will do the best to locate top talent, then do an even better job hiding them away from MLB scouts while still advancing their talent. I can see academies hidden away in the woods, where a bunch of orphan children play baseball with fake names. lol

[gotbeer]

5 hours ago, AngelsLakersFan said:

I thought the commissioner was supposed to be the representative of the fans (i know, I know...)?

 

I believe the commissioner is the representative of the owners.